


Come Home

by Ribbon_Dragon10



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Falling In Love, Fanart, Homesick Hunk (Voltron), Homesick Lance (Voltron), Homesickness, Hurt/Comfort, Just a bit in Hunk's case., Lace, M/M, Mild Language, Some langst, Thace (Voltron) Lives, thance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 11:37:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14592198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ribbon_Dragon10/pseuds/Ribbon_Dragon10
Summary: Lance feels the pangs of homesickness return.  Thace tries to help.  Thace lives AU.  Homesick!Lance x Thace.  Thance/Lace.





	Come Home

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little story where Thace made it out, and he and Lance share times where they're both yearning for home.

It was peculiar seeing the human look like this.  A wistful glaze in his usually vibrant blue eyes and a cheeky grin not present on his face.

Thace couldn’t help but feel a bit bothered.  Usually, Lance of the Voltron Paladins was animated and lively.  Standing around, possibly loitering, flirting with Princess Allura or whatever female was in his presence (minus the Green Paladin, Pidge, which made Thace wonder as to why though he inferred that it could be perhaps due to their close bond), or he may be joining his comrades with some kind of strange escapade.

Things were going to fruition as everyone was preparing for the aftermath of Zarkon’s defeat.  He may have been gone, but Thace knew that things were only beginning. 

Lotor had returned.

The Blade of Marmora were highly aware of the prince’s presence, however.  There were a good number of meetings Thace previously had with Kolivan, Ulaz, Antok, and a few others about what to do when the prince returned to try and claim his throne and birthright, though this was before the Paladins chose to see the Blade of Marmora.

Either way, Thace knew that things had to be treaded on carefully.  He and Kolivan discussed the most certainly upcoming Kral Zera yet also on how it was suspicious that there was little to no action of the Empire Commanders swooping in to claim the throne after Zarkon’s death.  Thace had a bad feeling in his gut that things weren’t as they seemed, but things had to be kept together. 

They may have won the battle, but the war had just begun.

After a discussion with Kolivan, Thace agreed that it was best to try and lie low for now.  He barely escaped with the scrape of his teeth from the Empire’s stronghold and it was unsure what their next move will be. 

And that was how he found himself in his current position.

He was collecting his thoughts together, trying to piece everything in hopes of finding some kind of answer when he noticed the Paladin of the Blue Lion, Lance, sitting quietly in the common room and unlike his usual self.  Lance wasn’t alone though, as the Paladin of the Yellow Lion, Hunk, was there with him.  However, the other human seemed worried about his friend and was heading towards the exit Thace had entered from.

“Oh, hey, Thace,” Hunk gave a smile in greeting.  “What’s up?”

“I was just passing through,” Thace responded courteously.  Despite being acquainted with the Paladins of Voltron, he still maintained a polite demeanour.  He questioned, “Is something the matter?”

“Well…” Hunk smiled but it was this time filled with a hint of sadness.  “Lance is just in that mood again.”

“What do you mean?”

Hunk then beckoned Thace to come closer towards him.  The Galran had to lower his tall figure so that his ears would go on the same level with the human’s mouth.  Even then, Thace was thankful that Hunk was considerate enough to stand on his toes to whisper it to him.

“He just really misses home.”

Thace’s ear twitched as he arched a brow.  But a wave of understanding washed over his being as he glanced at the Blue Paladin again. 

Now that he was aware of the issue, it made so much sense. 

Thace scowled, “How long has he been like this?”

Hunk gave a small shrug, “I don’t know, exactly.  I can tell you a few days but to Lance? Maybe a while…” The human then explained, “I was gonna go to the kitchen and whip up something.  Maybe a milkshake will help perk him up.  I dunno…wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot though, right?”

Thace nodded, the corners of his lips twitching up into a smile at Hunk’s consideration and concern for his friend.  He agreed, “That’s right.”

“So…if it’s alright with you, can you maybe stay with Lance for a bit? I know you probably have some important Blade of Marmora mission or something but you’re the only one who came through the lounge today since Pidge is going through some stuff, Keith’s training, and Allura and Coran are probably speaking to your leader, so…gotta make do.”

Thace waved a hand dismissively, “It’s no problem, I’m not too busy at the moment.  But if it’s alright for me to ask…what is Earth like?”

Hunk blinked at the question, not expecting it, “What’s Earth like?” The Yellow Paladin thought it was a bit weird hearing this question instead of the other way around but he obliged.  Seemed that Thace took his jobs seriously even if it was just to make sure someone wasn’t feeling down in the dumps.  “Well, depends on where you go to on Earth.  My place, though? Like Lance’s, it’s a really warm place with a lot of beaches and nature.  Though mine’s made up of two large islands and eight smaller ones.”

“Really?” Thace was intrigued by this new source of information.  Then again, he was always the type to be interested in gaining knowledge.  That was a love he shared with Ulaz before his friend’s untimely passing. 

Hunk nodded, his face soft from nostalgia, “You can relax but you can also take a good look around.  You can go rough playing rugby in the day, then share an _umu_ with family together for an afternoon meal on Sunday…” He sighed happily, “Ahhh…I can just smell the rich, smoky scent of pig and taro…”

Thace noted several words he had never heard before.  _Rugby_? _Umu_? _Sunday_? _Taro?_ What were those? He would’ve asked but he recalled that Hunk had somewhere to be and Lance was still sitting by himself.  “It sounds lovely,” the Galran remarked sincerely.

The human gave a small smile before shutting his eyes.  He sighed but he definitely seemed better talking about his home, if even for a tick.  “I guarantee you’ll love it there,” Hunk beamed looking in better spirits.  “Y’know, that made me feel a whole lot better! Thanks for that, Thace.  Now…can you maybe do the same thing with Lance?” Looking pointedly at his best friend, Hunk’s smile grew weak, “He really needs it.  Honestly, way more than I do, I think.”

And with that, Hunk left.

Thace squinted, wondering how he could approach the other human.  Though a simple talk with Hunk made him better, the Galran knew that perhaps that action wasn’t enough with the Blue Paladin.  It didn’t seem like Lance wanted to share his feelings out in the open even if it was just the two of them.  Personal topics didn’t seem like something he delved in despite his outgoing demeanour.

After a deliberate pause for thought, the Galran had an idea of what he could do though it may earn a bit of an earful from Kolivan if he was even a tick off.  He had to time it correctly.

“Paladin Lance?”

Said human gave a slight jolt, obviously not expecting him.  “Huh? Oh! Thace,” he relaxed his shoulders before tilting his head up to look at him.  “You need something, buddy?”

Thace studied the Earthling for a moment rather seriously.  They hadn’t known each other long yet Lance already opted to refer to him quite casually, even referring to him with a term which apparently equated to friendship.  Thace found it strange yet it definitely wasn’t unwarranted or unenjoyable.  It was a bit surprising at first, but surprise became amusement, and amusement became gratitude, and gratitude became fondness, which then softly became…

Lance knew that Thace was a serious person (well, alien anyway), but he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous by being looked at so intensely and quite unexpectedly, too.  He wasn’t even blinking as his golden eyes were focusing on him.  Did he do something that made Thace look at him like that? He shifted a bit in his spot, unsure of why the Galran was surveying him. 

Or…was he maybe…was he hitting on him?

Blinking at the notion, Lance inwardly laughed and shook his head at even thinking that.  Nah, no way.  A Galran hitting on him? And Thace of all Galra? That sounded impossible to the young Paladin. 

But before he could properly gather himself, Thace interrupted his thoughts.

“If it’s alright, would you come with me?”

Lance blinked, “Come with you? To where? Do you guys need Voltron or Blue for something?”

“No.  That won’t be necessary.”

“Huh? Oh…well, where are we going, then?”

Thace hesitated but a small yet gentle smile graced his features.  It was the first time Lance saw an expression like that and it really amazed him.  Most of the Galra he met either snarled, stayed stoic, or were pretty ugly when they smiled since they either had large, protruding rows of fangs or smiled like serial killers in some B-grade slasher flick he’d watch with his brothers. 

Yet here Thace was and he was smiling at him so gently. 

He actually looked…really nice.

“Paladin Lance?”

“Oh! Right…” Lance rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment as he was brought back out of his thoughts, his cheeks heating up a little for spacing out.  He cleared his throat, “So…you want to take me somewhere that’s not a mission?”

Thace nodded, “Yes.  But only if that’s alright with you.”

Was he really hitting on him? Nah, couldn’t be.  Lance severely doubted it and right now he probably looked like an idiot in front of Thace for his spacing out. 

Still, he could save this.  He could save the situation from looking awkward and not look like a total loser who wasn’t taking things seriously. 

A sly grin spreading on his face, Lance shrugged nonchalantly, playing it cool, “Well, it’s fine with me, but just letting you know…you should at least take me out to dinner, first~”

Thace tilted his head to the side a little, “Are you hungry?”

Lance wasn’t sure whether to laugh or smack at his forehead for his words backfiring.  Then again, he really should’ve known.  After all, Thace wasn’t human.

Come to think of it, what _did_ Galra do when it came to dating? Did they even have movies? Did they even date?

“If you’re hungry, we can go to the kitchen, first,” Thace offered.  “Paladin Hunk was making his way over there--”

Lance waved his hand and shook his head with a sigh, “Nah, don’t worry about it, Thace.  Let’s just go.”

Deciding not to question the human further, Thace led Lance to the shuttle bay where all the vehicles were still kept.  Along the way, Lance saw Ryner from the Olkari talking to a member of the Blade of Marmora though she was too wrapped up in the discussion to notice him.  The Marmora member, on the other hand, noticed Thace and dipped their head quite low in respect while putting a fist on their chest.

Thace dipped his head back in response and quickly placed his own fist on his chest.

Continuing on, two Blade of Marmora members seemed interested in the castle’s interior before they noticed that Lance and Thace were walking by.  One of the Marmora members instantly straightened their posture and beat a fist on their chest in Thace’s direction.  The other followed suit albeit more loosely. 

Thace beat his own fist onto his chest with a small nod at his two fellow members.

Lance couldn’t help but stare in slight awe and admiration at how the other Marmora members reacted when he and Thace passed by.  They saw the Galran and immediately not only acknowledged his presence but showed him respect.

The Paladin wondered if he could be in a position like Thace was or be like him.

Strong, cool, intelligent, brave…

Worthy of respect and admiration.

When they finally entered the shuttle bay, Thace took Lance to one of the pods that were in good condition.  He didn’t want the Paladin to use his Lion just in case some enemy ships were around the vicinity.  Once they were on board, the Galran took the pilot’s seat while Lance strapped himself in the passenger’s. 

The Earthling took a peek at Thace who was quickly inputting coordinates, “Sooo…where are we going?”

Thace’s smile still remained on his face.  Only this time there was a hint of secretiveness to it.  “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d rather keep it a secret until we get there.”

Well, _that_ was definitely something.  Lance was a little nervous with the ambiguity of the situation, yet…he felt quite safe and knew that there was nothing to worry about. 

Yes, Thace was a Galran but he was part of the Blade of Marmora.  They were on the same side.  Thace himself also seemed like a great guy – despite being serious and keeping his cool in every situation, the Galran was very patient and nothing seemed to faze him.  He was calm under pressure and always seemed to know what to say or do in every situation he was in.

After all, he was able to infiltrate and be part of Zarkon’s stronghold and was even able to _lie_ to Haggar while some glowing ball of doom was close to his face.  He had serious balls.

Wait, did Galran guys even have any…?

At any rate, Lance chose to look through the glass instead.  Usually, he didn’t pay much attention to his surroundings unless it was a life or death situation in Blue or they had to maneuver through obstacles. 

But now…he had the chance to actually be able to admire space for its own natural beauty.

He remembered as a kid, he would look through his brother, Marco’s, telescope and marvel at all the stars shining in the sky.  He would squeal in awe as he watched them twinkle from his cozy little home while his brothers would point out various constellations.  To little Lance though, the stars looked like little diamonds that were twinkling on a huge sheet dyed with immensely dark blues, violets, and even a little black here and there. 

_‘Diamonds, huh?’_

His thoughts then flew to his sister, Veronica.  She was given a lovely diamond ring when her boyfriend of five years finally proposed to her.  Lance remembered that well.  After all, he agreed to help the poor dude!

Not long after, he became an uncle.

_‘Wonder what they’re doing now…’_

Lance shook his head and looked around the vastness of space to try and focus on what was happening now, the various pieces of space around him, and where he and the Galran were possibly going to.

However, Thace saw from the corner of his eye.

They were silent throughout the whole ride.  Admittedly, Lance was a little unnerved by his companion’s lack of words, being used to chatter, but then again, Thace never struck him as the talkative type.  Still, the human felt a little uncomfortable with things being so quiet.  Just the hum of the craft chattered on.

_‘How do you start a conversation with a Galran?’_

But before Lance could speak, he was cut off.

“Hunk was telling me that he was a little homesick.  Apparently, his home is a warm place with islands and beaches?”

Lance blinked but nodded, a small yet fond smile forming on his face, “Yeah, that’s right.  Hunk lived in Samoa before coming to the Garrison.  I come from Cuba, though.  Varadero, to be specific.”

“Varadero?” Thace’s smile remained.  The name of the human’s home rolled pleasantly on his tongue.  “The name is lovely.”

“It’s the best place ever!” Lance seemed more animated this time.  In lighter spirits now that he was given the opportunity to talk about his home a bit, “You got golden beaches everywhere, palm trees swaying about, and the ocean…oh man, the ocean…”

“You live close to an ocean?”

Lance nodded, “Yeah.  Watching the sunsets…wish I could describe them.  But it’s way better if you actually experienced it rather than just reading it out of a book or hearing somebody talk about it.”  He slumped back in his seat as his gaze flew upward, “The colours…how they melted with the ocean…that cool sea breeze.  And when it rained…oh man, when it rained…”

He remembered splashing around with his nephew and niece in puddles whenever that happened.  Their little giggles reached his ears as rainwater sloshed everywhere from the force of their footsteps.  His own laughter chimed throughout the air as he chased them, taunting that he was going to catch them as they squealed, ducked and dipped away from his playful grasps.

Thace was satisfied at seeing Lance appearing to revel in what seemed like a happy memory before the human started closing his eyes.  However, this wasn’t the end of what the Galran had in mind.  On the contrary, it was just the start.

It was a good thing they were almost there.

\-----

**_Surrounded by laughter._ **

**_Many voices singing happily, cheerily._ **

**_The smell of cream and strawberries._ **

**_The flare of several candles._ **

_“ **Felicidades Lanza,**_

**_En tu día que lo pases,_ **

**_Con sana alegría muchos años,_ **

**_De paz y armonía,_ **

**_Felicidad, felicidad, felicidad.”_ **

**_‘Felicidad…’_ **

\-----

By the time Lance woke up, they were no longer flying. 

Thace didn’t want to disturb the human’s slumber but he didn’t know how long Lance would sleep for.  He knew he can’t be wasting any more ticks if he didn’t want some scolding from Kolivan. 

“Haaaa…” Lance yawned as he stretched, his back arching rather gracefully.  “Mmmm…Thace?”

“We’re here.”

Hearing that they arrived, Lance suddenly realized what he was hearing.  It was unmistakable.

Rustling from the trees, the whistling of the wind, the gentle crashing of…

Shooting up from his seat, Lance’s blue eyes widened as his mouth dropped at the sight before him.

Blue skies, golden sands, and the ocean…?

_‘Am I…?!’_

“Thace?” the Blue Paladin whipped his head around but couldn’t find the Galran anywhere.  He looked outside though and saw that Thace was already ahead of him, his feet digging into the sand.

Looking around, the Galran simply motioned for Lance to come out and join him.  The small smile reappeared on his face though this time, the secretive hint was gone.  It was now fully gentle and reassuring like it was before.

Immediately, Lance unstrapped himself and dashed to the exit.  Opening the door, he gasped as his face was touched by the soft caresses of the ocean breeze.

Around him, the blue ocean rolled, giving low rumbles as a few waves crashed around.  The sand appeared golden and the trees stood tall and proud with their leaves swaying along with the playful wind.

Taking a tentative step, Lance moved forward.

His foot dug into the golden sand.  It was warm, almost hugging at his toes…

Wiggling his toes from within his armour, Lance continued walking on the golden sands of the beach.  With each step, toasty warmth continued poking at his feet.  Looking back, he saw a trail of his footprints from the pod he and Thace took.  Raising his head up, Lance eyed the ocean as the water nibbled at the sand nearby before retreating back into its massive expanse.

Prudently, he came close, once more wiggling his toes in the mushier and earthier spots of sand.   With slightly bated breath, he waited…

Some of the ocean water splashed forward and nibbled at some more of the sand.  Its cool and wet touch also frolicked against his feet.

Lance’s eyes widened as his breath was released, his coffee-coloured hair getting gently tousled by the sea breeze.  The smell of salt filled his nostrils as a big, bright beam immediately formed on his face.  His sapphire eyes lit up as he looked around his surroundings again.

_‘I can’t believe it! I’m back! I’m back on—“_

That was when something caught the corner of his eye.

Petals?

Curious, Lance sauntered over to see a bunch of flowers growing a good distance away from the ocean, the petals swaying lightly with the ocean breeze.  Kneeling down, the human took a closer look.

The flowers consisted of petals with a strange gradient colouring.  They seemed dominantly blue but there were tints of purple dotted around.  The tips were green while the center where the pollen would be was yellow. 

“I’ve never seen this kind of flower before…” Lance murmured aloud to himself.

Carefully, he knelt down to his knees and picked one.

It felt so delicate in his hands.  Though he was a thin guy with long fingers, he still couldn’t help but feel highly alert.  As if he would accidentally crush the little flower if he shifted his fingers or gripped harder if even _just_ a little bit.  Gazing down at it, he stroked along the petal, seemingly deep in thought. 

The flower’s petals didn’t feel like anything he felt on a flower before. 

A flower’s petals should be soft and delicate, right? These were tough, almost like leather.

“Huh…”

Throughout that, Thace watched him carefully.  The Galran felt himself getting lifted at seeing Lance brighten at the beach.  However, he stayed silent when the Earthling saw the flowers and approached them.  Thace took a step forward, his figure looming a little over the shorter human.

“Paladin Lance.”

Said human looked up at him, broken away from his thoughts but his attention now gained.

“I heard from Paladin Hunk that your homes were similar.  It was warm and filled with beaches and nature.  So…I thought to bring you here to perhaps hopefully try and give you some peace of mind.”

“Hunk told you?” Lance asked in surprise.  However, as soon as the words left his mouth he immediately understood what was going on.  For that, he couldn’t help but feel his cheeks heat up again at the thought of Thace making such a grand gesture to make him feel better.  The Blue Paladin blushed and not only did he feel butterflies flutter in his stomach but also his heart beat faster…

…however, he soon felt another feeling wash over him.

Shame.

Ashamed that his vulnerabilities not only surfaced again but they were clear to see, and someone was wasting their time on it. 

So for that, he turned away.  His gaze falling down on the flowers as his heart was thumping harshly in his chest.

Thace’s jaw clenched, feeling his own heart twinge at the human’s apparent shame.  Why should he have to feel shame from this? He shouldn’t.  “You’re homesick,” the Galran said, his deep voice was clear and low.

Lance couldn’t look at him, this time feeling his cheeks burn but not from a flattered bout of flustering he felt before.  He thought he was over it already.  He confessed to Coran before about missing home so much, and the Altean sympathized in his consolation – also sharing that he yearned for home.  Lance felt better after that but there were times he would feel the pangs of a hurtful yearning from within him.

A yearning to play with his niece and nephew again.

A yearning for laughter that he’d share with his siblings.

A yearning from his grandma's stories.

A yearning for his mother’s hugs.

A yearning for home.

“There’s nothing wrong with feeling homesick.  I get that feeling, too.”

Thace was part of the Blade of Marmora but he was, first and foremost, a Galran.  Recalling the story Coran told them about the first formation of Voltron and the downfall of Zarkon with the quintessence, Lance then remembered that like Coran, Thace could sympathize.

That’s when the human’s eyes widened slightly as realization hit him. 

Thace not only missed home but he could never go home again.  Meanwhile, Lance actually had a place to return to.  Like Coran, Thace didn’t have a planet to go to and call home anymore once the war would be over.  However, at least Coran had the castle where he could stay in and it could settle back at Arus eventually. 

Where would Thace stay? Where could he go?

The human felt his chest hurt, causing him to tighten his grip on the flower.  His skinny frame shaking slightly as emotions stirred in a swirling mess from within him.  He had no right to feel this way.  He truly didn’t.  He had a good home, lived a really well-off life, and his home was still intact – he could go home when everything was over.  And even if he couldn’t return home anymore, he could be comforted by the fact that at least it was still there with his family.

Did Thace have a family?

If he did, what happened to them?

Seeing the Earthling’s figure tremble, Thace’s eyes stretched open a little, feeling shocked and anxious that his plan to try and help soothe the Paladin from his homesickness seemingly backfired, “Paladin Lance?”

Lance quickly wiped at his eye, feeling a warm drop starting to gather.  No, there was _no_ way he was going to cry, especially not in front of Thace.  That would be really uncool.  There was just something in his eye, that’s all.  Yeah… It would be so uncool if he cried in front of one of the bravest guys he’s ever met.

“Why are you avoiding my gaze?” Thace’s voice sounded confused yet also dejected.  Even a little hurt.

And the human could detect that hurt.  Could also assume why it was there, too.  Lance wanted to look at him to reassure him that it wasn’t his fault for anything but he found that he couldn’t face him. 

He was selfish and a baby.  Someone like him didn’t deserve to look at someone like Thace.  Someone who was so strong, so brave, kept it together, and never once complained about anything. 

Never complained about the suspicious looks he gained when others silently judged him, never complained about how people talked down on him just because of who he was, never complained about ever missing his home, never complained about never seeing his family again…

“Paladin Lance…”

Sniffing, Lance craned his head around, trying to force a smile on his face.  “Yeah, Thace? What’s up?” he beamed as brightly as he could. 

It hurt… 

Scowling, Thace carefully thought about what to say this time.  Though the human was smiling at him, the tone didn’t seem…genuine.  His smile was lacking that upbeat tone and his eyes did not contain that cheeky yet cheerful spark.  After a slight pause, the Galran spoke again, “Paladin Lance--”

“You don’t need to call me that, you know.  Just Lance is okay.”

Thace’s eyes stretched open slightly, a bit taken aback at the request to be referred to in more casual terms.  He couldn’t help but feel honoured to be able to call him by just his name, his ear twitched at it.    “Alright, then,” the Galran said, voice level.  “Lance…there’s nothing wrong with feeling homesick.”

Lance’s smile disappeared again.  He found that he couldn’t look at Thace in the eye once more.  “Yeah, you say that…” he said quietly, voice a little hushed as he confessed how he was feeling.  “But it’s not fair.”

“What isn’t fair?”

Absentmindedly, Lance was picking at the flowers and placed them on his lap.  Thace himself was unsure why he was doing such a thing but surmised that perhaps it helped the human be able to articulate his words and thoughts or soothe him somehow.  Regardless, the Galran let the human gather his words first.

“It’s not fair that I can feel like this because…at least I got a home to go to.  You don’t.  I’m nothing but selfish.  I don’t have the right to feel this way when there are others around me who’ve had it way worse off…”

Thace’s jaw clenched again, feeling his heart sink and pound painfully at the compassion the human was giving him.  Due to being a Galran, it was rare to find someone who wasn’t like him that ever considered him and his feelings or even look at him without fear, anger, or disgust, for that matter. 

In the Blade of Marmora, the general motto was that the needs of the whole universe outweighed the needs of the one.  Thace himself adhered and lived by those words, taking them completely to heart.  You were expected to sacrifice yourself if it means that the universe as a whole would be safe.  He continued to conduct himself politely and calmly even if others spat on him and his efforts.  Because he knew, in the end, all his efforts, all the Blade of Marmora’s efforts, would be worth in a long shot for everyone else around him.

Yet… 

Thace had to admit a few times, he was tired.  So very tired.

He missed having someone to care for.  He missed being able to show such care to someone without any obligation.  He missed being selfish with his heart for once.

“You’re right.  I don’t have a home to go to.”

Lance inwardly flinched at the words Thace spoke.  He expected them, and deep down, he honestly wanted them to be spoken to him so he can be knocked down a peg for being so selfish.  Yet, the bluntness of Thace’s words _did_ still hurt.  Despite his heart beating faster, the human felt as if a crack was starting to form.

“But…”

This time, Lance felt himself getting engulfed in warmth.  He gave a startled gasp at feeling strong arms wrap around him.  His cheeks flushed as he realized what was going on.

Thace was embracing him from behind.

“I don’t think home is just a place, either.  As long as I have those I hold dear to me close, I’ll always be home.”

From Thace’s words, Lance felt as if a little stone had dropped inside his head and slowly sink.  Not a bad sort of sinking feeling, but rather a revelation. 

A reminder.

That he wasn’t ever alone.  Even if he felt inadequate, useless, a load, or just a bother, he was never standing by himself. 

Hunk, Pidge, Coran, Shiro, Princess Allura, and even Keith…

Even now, Lance wasn’t alone.

Lance felt his heart throb again.  However, it was less from pain as he felt it flutter.  “Yeah…” he said quietly as he found himself gripping Thace’s strong hands.  The Paladin smiled softly as he traced his finger on a curved claw, admiring the brushing of the Galran's fur against his digit, “You’re right.” 

They were so warm…

Thace was a little surprised at Lance holding his hands but simply leaned a little closer to offer more of his warmth to provide the human with more comfort.  Galran body temperature was a bit higher than those of a human’s, after all.  A low rumble purred in his throat at his claws getting stroked at.  It felt quite pleasant…

“I’m sorry that this is not your Earth.”

Lance shook his head, feeling a small smile tug on his lips at the kind gesture the Galran had made.  He tried, and really, just the thought of Thace doing something like this was enough for him.  Even then, the Paladin found himself quite liking this place. 

Whatever planet it was, yes, it may be a lot like Earth, however, it _wasn’t_ Earth…but it was still beautiful and had its own charms to it.

Plus, he did feel much better now.

“Don’t apologize, Thace,” Lance carefully twisted his body around to finally make eye contact with the Galran.  He smiled softly but warmly, “Thank you.” 

Thace’s lips spread out into a clear smile, happy and glad that the cheerful spark returned to the Blue Paladin’s sapphire eyes.  Tilting his head a little, he then remarked, “Your eyes…”

“Huh?” Lance blinked.  “What about my eyes?” He couldn’t help but brace himself, wondering if Thace would remark something similar about them like how Allura did with his ears during the first time they met.

The Galran then looked sideways to the ocean, “They’re the same colour as the planet’s ocean.  It’s nice.”

The human blinked in surprise but chuckled as he felt a blush spread out on his cheeks at the unexpected compliment.  The fact that it was from Thace and sounded so straightforward yet sincere really made his heart beat like a drum.

Suddenly, there was the sound of shimmering from above.

Thace whipped his head around, ears twitching in alert as his soft smile disappeared from his face.  Rendering it serious and stoic as he stayed alert.  Lance himself grew rigid as he gazed in direction the Galran was looking at.  He squeezed the strong arms around him, a little nervous.  Did he have to take out his Bayard?

However, up in the dark blue sections of the sky higher above, there appeared to be shimmering lights that sparked down.  With a low murmur and a chime, the spark landed on the ocean, erupting a beautiful yet not blinding light.  Several more sparks shot around before finally dying out.

Lance stared in awe, “Whoa…what’s going on?”

His shoulders relaxing, Thace gently let go of the human before standing up to get a better view, “Star showers.”

Lance found himself a little disappointed at no longer being held in those strong and secure arms.  But he heard what Thace said, which caused him to look in surprise, “So…those are stars falling down?”

Thace shook his head, a pleasant rumble purring in his throat, “No, actually.  They’re just called that because they look like stars from a far-off eye.  But in reality, it’s not sure what they truly are.  Many planets have different names for this kind of thing, so many have different thoughts of them.  Some believe they’re sentient beings who are ready to die, others think they’re comets, and there are those who believe they truly are shrunken stars.  But everyone simply calls it a star shower to avoid discrepancies.”

Despite appearing in the middle of daylight, Lance could see the shimmering star-like bodies so clearly.  They shot down, appearance pure and delicate yet resonating a determined strength as they landed on the water.  A few times they flittered as they seemingly dashed among the water’s surface before finally flickering away with a flutter.

Lance himself didn’t know what you’d call this kind of thing, either.  Pidge and Hunk might have an idea.  Keith maybe would? He wouldn't know.  Shiro would’ve had an inference, and Allura and Coran probably would be able to shed some light on the matter.

But him? 

He wasn’t that kind of guy.

He preferred watching this kind of thing and admiring it for what it was.  And who said you had to know what a thing was to admire it?

He was the type to live in an experience rather than theorize.

Right now, he continued watching, still crouched down with the lovely yet eccentrically coloured flowers in his hands.  The white sparks that shot down were twinkling and shimmering.  Though they definitely shared the resemblance of stars, they also looked similar to that of diamonds.

_'Diamonds, huh?'_

Thace knew that he was many ticks off from his initial goal in mind, and so Kolivan was probably wondering where he had gone, but he found that he didn’t mind at all. 

Seeing the soft and warm smile on the Paladin’s face as he gazed happily at the star shower with his eyes, blue as the ocean, sparkling with wonder and awe?

It was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Sucks that Thace died. I really liked him and thought they could've expanded on his character more. That saying so, most of the Thace that I wrote was based on what I saw of him in the show and on a few (alright, maybe two) fics about him


End file.
